1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system including a plurality of terminals and a switchboard connected to the terminals, and a communication method for the communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, communication means have diversified. Not only conventionally known voice communication but also various communication means such as video communication, character communication (e.g., mail communication, instant message communication, and chat communication), file sharing communication, whiteboard sharing communication, and application sharing communication have been used as the communication means. Furthermore, a “peer-to-peer (P2P)” model in which terminals directly communicate with each other to exchange terminal information has been on the rise to replace a “server-client model” in which the communication means controls information (such as positions (addresses), communication capabilities and the like of terminals) on terminals such as a switchboard and a server at one location in a centralized manner.
Communication software compliant with the P2P model (hereinafter, “P2P communication software”) has spread widely because of its convenience and its high functional improvement speed. P2P communication related techniques are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2003-348244, 2004-046419, 2004-304666, 2004-320289, 2004-320629, and 2006-020048.
Generally, requirements to support the various communication means are high even for a switchboard designed to be compliant with the server-client model. However, a functional improvement speed of switchboard software is disadvantageously and unavoidably lower than that of P2P model communication software since it is necessary to secure sufficient design and evaluation periods so as to prevent an influence on existing switchboard functions.
Meanwhile, both the switchboard software and the P2P communication software tend to adopt LAN lines using an IP network as a main communication pathway, which provides an environment that facilitates cooperation between the both software.